Refrigerating apparatus



Feb. 22,1938. P. M. LYONS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed July 20, 1935 INVOR. R10; LYONS.

HIS

Patented Feb. 22, .1938

Paul M. Lyons, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, mine, a corporation of Delaware Application July 20,

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to such apparatus for cooling and dispensing a liquid.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved portable water or beverage cooler.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved, water or beverage cooling apparatusin which various elements of a mechanical refrigerating system are compactly arranged to provide a small unitary structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved water dispensing device in which the water to be dispensed is cooled by a refrigerant liquefying and circulating system comprising relatively small elements of light weight to provide a portable unitary device which can be suspended from ,or hungon a wall of a room or oflice.

In carrying out the foregoing objects in providing a small compact unitary portable water or beverage dispensing apparatus it is a still further object of the invention to provide means for increasing the cooling capacity of the refrigerating element of the refrigerating system contained in the apparatus.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being. had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerating apparatus constructed according to the invention and shown mounted on or suspended from. a wall of a room or oflice;

35 Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical i sectional view through the refrigerating ap Taratus shown in Fig. 1 and taken on the line 22 thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the apparatus showing the construction of the rangement on a wall.

which encloses and supports a plurality of elements of a refrigerating system to be presently described. Casing I2 is substantially D-shaped 1 in horizontal cross-section and its lower portion is tapered toward the wall" I I as at l3. The upper edge of the casing I2 is fiat and receives a cover plate I4 which has supported thereon, in an inverted position, a demijohn I5 adapted to concasing or housing thereof and its supporting ar- 1935, Serial No. 32,419

tain two or three gallons of water or any other beverage to be cooled by the apparatus. Casing i2 is provided with a plurality of louvres I! certain 'of which are located at the bottom of the casing in the tapered portion i3 thereof while 5 certain others are located on each side of the upper portion of the casing. The back plate I 8 of casing i2 is detachably secured to the curved portion thereof and has certain elements of the refrigerating system to be presently described 10 mounted thereon. Hooks is are welded or otherwise secured to the upper portion of back plate l8 of casing i2 and these hooks are adapted to removably. fit over a bracket .2l secured to the wall II in any suitable and well-known manner. 15 To hold casing i2 in parallel vertical alignment with wall H I provide a spacer 22, preferably constructed of soft resilient material so as not to mar or damage the wall, which is secured in any suitable manner to the lower portion of the back wall 20 I8 of casing l2. Mounted upon and extending outwardly from the front of casing l2 there is provided a nozzle 24 and a button 25 for operating a valve 26 which controls the flow of water through the nozzle 24. A drain receptacle or 25 can 21 is positioned below the button 25 and nozzle 24 and is also carried by the casing l2. The valve v26, nozzle 24 and button 25 constructions are fully described and shown in the patent to Donald H. Reeves No. 1,923,585 issued August 30 22, 1933 and a description of these structures is herein unnecessary.

Water to be cooled flows from the demijohn l5 into a receptacle 3| having a pipe connection'32 with the valve 26. The pipe connection 32 is in 5 the form of a. coil of pipe or conduit disposed in a tank or reservoir 33 having suitable insulating material 34 surrounding same. The closed refrigerating system within casing l2 includes a combined motor-compressor unit 36 supported 40 by springs 31 on a horizontally disposed plate 38 p which plate is welded or otherwise firmly secured to the back plate ll! of casing l2. Operation of compressor unit 36 withdraws evaporated or gaseous refrigerant, through a conduit 39, from 45 the evaporator or cooling element 40 located above the unit 36 and within tank 33. The evaporated refrigerant is com ressed and forwarded under pressure, through a conduit 4|, to a condenser 42, located below the unit 36 where it is cooled and 50 liquefied. The liquefied refrigerant flows from condenser 42 into a receiver 43 where it is stored prior to its flow through conduit 44 into evaporator 40 under control of an expansion device or valve 45. A baflle member 46 is securedto back the louvres l1 and this'air, upon leaving the baflie or shroud 46 or after having passed over the motor-compressor unit 36, flows upwardly around the insulated tank33 and out of casing I2 through the openings provided by the louvres I! located in each side of the top portion thereof as shown recting air drawn into the lower portion of said by the arrows in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The motor-compressor unit 36 is under the control of a suitable switch 5| mounted on the underside of baffle plate 38. The switch 5| is actuated by changes in pressure of a volatile refrigerant contained in a thermostatic system including a bulb 52 secured to the water coil 32 and responsive to thetemperature of water in the coil. The motor 48 is connected with switch 5| in such manner that it is caused to operate each-time the motorcompressor unit 36 is operated in order to drive the fan 41 so as to cool refrigerant being circulated through condenser 42. Obviously therefore the refrigerant liquefying and circulating unit is intermittently operated to maintain the evaporator 40 of the refrigerating system between predetermined temperature limits.

Since the elements of the refrigerating system are small and the evaporator is consequently of low refrigerating capacity the tank 33 is preferably filled or partially filled with a solution or mixture designated at 54 in which the water cooling coil 32 and evaporator 40 are immersed to thereby provide a temperature holdover and to increase the cooling capacity of the refrigerating system. This mixture or solution 54 may be butyl-stearate with 5% carbon tetrachloride which congeals between 45 and 56 F. Benzol (CsHs) which congeals at about 42 F, or any other suitable chemical solutions may also be employed in tank 33 as temperature holdover solutions.

The compactness and arrangement of the supports for the elements of the refrigerating system permit the elements to be disposed one above the other in substantially vertical alignment so as to be receivable in the relatively small housing or casing l2. The arrangement of the elements of the refrigerating system in casing 12 permits an'efiicient air circulation thereover and provides a small apparatus of light weight which is portable and which may be readily removed from its suspended position on the wall by a single serviceman. The apparatus is small in overall dimensions and therefore resembles a drinking fountain of the type ordinarily built into a wall of a room. My improved wall suspension type beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus permits movabi'lity thereof as a unitary structure and replacement by another apparatus in a minimum of time by a serviceman so as not to deprive the user of the apparatus of cool drinking water over any appreciable length of time during the servicing or replacement of the apparatus. While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understoodthat other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A portable unitary beverage cooling and dispensing' apparatus comprising, a closed refrigsaid unit and said unit being located below said evaporator, a casing enclosing and supporting said refrigerating system, said casing having a plurality of openings in the lower portion thereof and a plurality of openings in the upper portion thereof, baflie means within said casing for dicasing by said circulating means over said condenser and said unit, and means on said casing for removably suspending said apparatus from a wall of a room or the like.

2. A portable unitary beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising, a closed refrigerating system including an evaporator for cooling beverage adapted to flow through said apparatus, said refrigerating system also including a motor-compressor unit and a condenser, means for circulating air over said condenser, said means and said condenser being positioned below said unit and said unit being located below said evaporator, a casing enclosing and supporting said refrigerating system, said casing being substantially D-shaped in horizontal cross-section and having a plurality of openings in the lower portion thereof and a plurality of openings in the upper portion thereof, said air circulating means drawing air into said casing through the lower openings and expelling said. air through the upper openings, and means on the flat side of the D-shaped casing for removably suspending said apparatus from a wall of a room or the like.

3. A portable unitary mechanically refrigerated apparatus comprising in combination, a refrigerating system including an evaporator, a motor-compressor unit, a condenser, and means for circulating air over said condenser, a. casing enclosing and supporting said refrigerating system, said evaporator, said motor-compressor unit, and said condenser, being mounted, one above the other within said casing said casing having an opening in the lower portion thereof and an opening in the upper portion thereof, baflie means within said casing for directing air, drawn into the lower portion of said casing by said air circulating means, over said condenser and said unit, and means on said casing for removably suspending said apparatus from a vertical wall of a room or the like.

4. A portable unitary mechanically refrigerated apparatus comprising in combination, a. refrigerating system including an evaporator, a motorcompressor unit, a condenser, and means for circulating air over said condenser, a casing enclos- .ing and supporting said refrigerating system, said evaporator, said motor-compressor unit, and said 

